A Canadian woman working as an intern at NATO’s military operational headquarters in Belgium has been arrested on espionage charges, Belgian authorities announced Saturday.
Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the investigation began after NATO’s security services provided a tip. Officials detained “a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin” on Friday, one day after searching the suspect’s home and her workplace, both located within NATO’s sprawling operational command center.
“She is suspected of spying on behalf of a third country and of being a member of a criminal organization,” prosecutors stated in an official release.
Both Canada and Belgium are among the 32 nations that make up the military alliance. In 2021, the alliance formally labeled China a “security challenge,” placing it alongside ongoing threats from Russia and the Middle East.
The operational headquarters in question — known as SHAPE, or the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe — sits in the southern Belgian city of Mons, close to the French border. NATO’s political headquarters is located in Brussels, where member nation ambassadors regularly convene to address issues such as defense spending, drone activity, and cyber threats. Military planners at SHAPE are responsible for developing and directing joint military strategy and operations.
